There’s a Right Cocktail for Every Hour of the Day and Night

Who says that cocktails should only be enjoyed after office hours? In fact, you can enjoy a cocktail anytime you want because it’s a free country, the Prohibition has been abolished, and you’re of legal drinking age. But obviously moderation is the key as you may still have to report to work later in the day or you have other appointments where alcohol intoxication isn’t acceptable.

Here’s our basic guide to choosing the right cocktail when you’re near a Hooters location and you have established a regulars account with them.

In the Morning Hours

Start your day with a light cocktail because you need to be gather your wits for the day ahead yet get your boost to face its challenges. You may want a Porto Flip, a Tom & Jerry, or a Ponche as soon as you’re done with your breakfast, as a replacement for coffee. You may also drink Silver Fizz, a Mimosa, or a Bellini at midday just because these drinks lift up the spirits.

Yes, there’s a good reason Mimosas are popular in casino buffets – these are perfect for pairing with food or enjoyed on its own. But you can also drink a Manhattan, a Campari 2000, or a Bamboo, if you want something stronger yet still subtle.

After the Lunch Hour

So, the cocktails you enjoyed before lunch have faded away, so to speak, so you may need another buzz. You may also just need a cocktail to bridge the gap between your morning coffee and your happy hour cocktail, if you’re not the type of takes a morning cocktail.

For an after-lunch cocktail, you may want sweet, smooth and creamy drink that will go well with your lunch. Your best choices: Irish Coffee, Sharon Stone, or a Brandy Alexander although we’re partial to Sharon Stone with its combo of tart orange and bittersweet chocolate. You can also go for something heavier like a Gin & Tonic with plenty of ice and a lime twist.

From Mid-afternoon to After Dinner

By the mid-afternoon, your system will be stressed by your workload so you need something to relax your mind and body without getting it into a stupor. You still have work commitments, after all, so the cocktails should still give a buzz without too much of the booze.

Black & Velvet is a nice choice when you’re into beer. But there are also mojitos, mint juleps, or frozen daiquiris, even a Singapore sling, if you’re into the traditional cocktails.

Just before dinner and after work, your cocktails can have more of a kick, if you want. Your choices may include a Blue Margarita, a Dirty Martini, or a Cosmopolitan. Since there’s no law that says you can’ have a before-dinner and after-dinner cocktail in the same day, you can add an Old fashioned or a White Lady as your choice for the latter.

When the sun has set, your cocktail repertoire can still be expanded. Your choices include Piña Colada, Tequila Sunrise, and Long Island Iced tea. You will still be able to get to sleep because there’s little buzz in these drinks but these still contain enough to get you in a relaxed mood, just ready to hit the sack.

Of course, this isn’t to say that you should acquire a drinking habit where every hour is marked by a cocktail or a shot of alcohol. Instead, you can think of cocktails as drinks that will keep your mind and body alert or relaxed depending on the time of day.

Must-have Cocktails in Your Lifetime

If you’re the type who doesn’t drink cocktails except on occasion, then there are also cocktails that you must drink in your lifetime.

The Old Fashioned can be made from different alcohols, such as whiskey, brandy, rum, tequila, mescal, and genever. These are all spirits with robust flavors so the cocktail can be quite potent.

The martini is considered as the grandbaby of cocktails while the Old Fashioned is the granddaddy. It’s either shaken or stirred depending on your James Bond infatuation but it must always be garnished with an onion, an olive, a slice of cucumber, or a lemon twist – olive, of course, is the preferred garnish for super-spies. It can also be made wet or dry – wet with gin and vermouth in equal parts, dry with just a whisper of vermouth.

The Martinez combines sweet vermouth, gin, bitters, and maraschino. It’s sweeter than a dry martini but its sweetness is offset by the refreshingly complex flavors with each sip.

The daiquiri has an allure about it that attracts both men and women. It’s best paired with rum because the sugar and lime in it usually highlight the flavors of rum, a combo that you can drink most times of the week.

And as with all types of alcoholic drinks, it’s always best to stop when you feel like you can go on drinking forever – it’s the alcohol’s effects on your brain kicking in. Otherwise, you may just regret it.

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